Roger the Engineer
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Roger the Engineer (UK title: Yardbirds, but commonly referred to as "Roger the Engineer". US, German and French title: Over Under Sideways Down) is an album by English blues rock band The Yardbirds, released in 1966. It was produced by bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and Simon Napier-Bell. It was the only Yardbirds album with all original material.[1] Although the record was officially titled Yardbirds (and still is in authoritative chart sources, such as The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums), it has since been referred to, first colloquially, then semi-officially, as Roger the Engineer,[2] a title stemming from the cover drawing of the record's audio engineer Roger Cameron by band member Chris Dreja.[3]
The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[4]
In 2012, the album was ranked No. 349 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [6] |
Recording
The album was recorded at Advision Studios in London in the spring and summer of 1966, and was produced by Paul Samwell-Smith and Simon Napier-Bell. It was released by Columbia on 15 July 1966.
Reception
Legacy
In 2003, the album was ranked No. 349 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine in a retrospective AllMusic review considers the album to be "the Yardbirds' best individual studio album, offering some of their very best psychedelia", though not "among the great albums of its era".[1]
Track listing
All songs written by Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Jeff Beck, Keith Relf, and Paul Samwell-Smith (Dreja and McCarty's last names are misspelled as "Drega" and "McCarthy" on the labels of the US album). All songs are recorded in stereo, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lost Woman" | 3:16 |
| 2. | "Over Under Sideways Down" (Rechanneled) | 2:24 |
| 3. | "The Nazz Are Blue" | 3:04 |
| 4. | "I Can't Make Your Way" | 2:26 |
| 5. | "Rack My Mind" | 3:15 |
| 6. | "Farewell" | 1:29 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Hot House of Omagarashid" | 2:39 |
| 8. | "Jeff's Boogie" (Rechanneled) | 2:25 |
| 9. | "He's Always There" | 2:15 |
| 10. | "Turn into Earth" | 3:06 |
| 11. | "What Do You Want" | 3:22 |
| 12. | "Ever Since the World Began" | 2:09 |
US release
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lost Woman" | 3:16 |
| 2. | "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" | 2:24 |
| 3. | "I Can't Make Your Way" (Mono version includes opening beat missing from stereo version) | 2:26 |
| 4. | "Farewell" | 1:29 |
| 5. | "Hot House of Omagarashid" (Beck's lead guitar differs noticeably between the two mixes) | 2:39 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Jeff's Boogie" | 2:25 |
| 7. | "He's Always There" (Longer fadeout and extended vocals at the end of the mono version) | 2:15 |
| 8. | "Turn into Earth" (12-bar opening drum riff on mono version, 8-bar opening on stereo version) | 3:06 |
| 9. | "What Do You Want" | 3:22 |
| 10. | "Ever Since the World Began" | 2:09 |
Personnel
- Keith Relf – lead vocals (except "The Nazz Are Blue"), harmonica
- Jeff Beck – lead guitar, lead vocals on "The Nazz Are Blue", bass guitar (2)
- Chris Dreja – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, piano
- Paul Samwell-Smith – bass guitar (all but 2), backing vocals
- Jim McCarty – drums, backing vocals, percussion
Cover art
- Chris Dreja – cover design and artwork
- Jim McCarty – sleeve notes
Release history
The original American versions of this album (issued with a completely different album cover and titled Over Under Sideways Down after the hit song of the same name) omitted the songs "The Nazz Are Blue" (which was sung by Jeff Beck) and "Rack My Mind" and are mixed differently from the British editions. Regardless, record collectors have sought out both the mono (LN 24210) and stereo (BN 26210) versions since several tracks are featured with slight differences in the mixes (see US album listing below). Epic's 1983 reissue (simply titled The Yardbirds) featured the original UK album cover, the two missing tracks, duplication of the British mixing, and two additional tracks, the 1966 single "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" b/w "Psycho Daisies", both featuring Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.
| Region | Date | Title | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 06/1966 | Yardbirds | Columbia | stereo LP | SCX6063 |
| UK | 06/1966 | Yardbirds | Columbia | mono LP | SX6063 |
| USA | 08/1966 | Over Under Sideways Down | Epic | stereo LP | BN26210 |
| USA | 08/1966 | Over Under Sideways Down | Epic | mono LP | LN24210 |
| FRG | 1966 | Over Under Sideways Down | Epic | stereo LP | BN26254 |
| France | 1966 | Over Under Sideways Down | Riviera | LP | 231196 |
| Canada | 1966 | Over Under Sideways Down | Capitol | LP | ST 6202 |
| England | 1983 | Roger the Engineer | Edsel | LP | ED 116 |
| USA | 1983 | Yardbirds | Epic | LP | FE 38455 |
| USA | 11/1997 | Roger the Engineer | Warner Archive | CD | WB 457342 |
References
- ^ a b Stephen Thomas Erlewine (2012). "Roger the Engineer – The Yardbirds : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ Bob Gulla (2008). Guitar Gods: The 25 Players Who Made Rock History. ABC-CLIO. p. 24. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ Chris Jones (17 April 2007). "BBC – Music – Review of The Yardbirds – Roger The Engineer". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time: The Yardbirds, 'Roger the Engineer'". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "The Yardbirds: Roger the Engineer > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
External links
- Roger the Engineer (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)
- The Yardbirds at Discogs (list of releases)